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M. M. GRAY.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

(Model.)

No. 350,929. Patented Oct. 19, 1886.

S TES trier.

ATENI MILES )I. GRAY, OF EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I-IAIJF TO JAMES P. MERRY, OF SAME PLQOE.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,929, dated October 19, 1886.

(Model) T0 (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Mums Mitts than, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Eureka Springs, county of Carroll, and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IVheels for \Vagons, )arriages, and for other Purposes, consisting of an arrangement for tightening or loosening the tire, as desired, at any time by simply the aid of a wrench, a concise and complete description of which I set forth in the following specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective side view of a wheel embodying my invention, illustrated at the outer end of the spokes 1, 2, 5;, I, 5, and 6. Fig. 2 isalongitudinal section of the spoke and its attachments. Fig. 3 is a view of the triangular block.

My invention consists of a combination of screw attachments, of steel, malleable iron, brass, or other metal, of which (4 illustrates a socket placed upon the end of the spoke, of a square, hexagonal, or oval form on its inner surface, to prevent it from turning upon the spoke. I prefer it differing slightly from the illustration in the drawings by being made larger comparatively with the size of the spoke, and slightly tapering on its inner surface, culminating at the inner end, thereby doing away entirely with the shoulder on the spoke, and inclosing all of the fiber of the wood, thereby giving more strengthand durability to the spoke, fitting tightly and resting firmly upon the end of-the spoke, beinground and straight upon its outer surface, and having a thread out upon its outer end and principal portion of its length, and left plain at the inner end, at Z), and fitted with a cap, 0, having a thread cut in the principal portion of its inner surface, with a flange left blank, as shown at Z), to prevent dirt and water from getting into the thread, and all constructed to fit neatly upon the socket a, and extending outward andforming the collar A, to fit against the felly B, and the tenon d, to pass into and through the felly or rim, (except as herein after described,) the tenon being made round and small, according to the strength of the metal of which it is made, and fitted neatly into a corresponding hole in the folly, thereby giving much more strength and durability to the folly of the same size than the necessarily large wooden tenon of the ordinary spoke. Cap G is also formed with a nut, 0, on its outer surface, of a hexagonal or other convenient form, to fit wrench to turn the entire cap to the right or leftt0 the right to elongate the spoke and press the felly outward, and thus tighten the tire, or to the left to loosen the same to prevent the injury of the wheel by swelling, should such necessity occur. I make the cap 0 in a single piece entire; but if jarring should prove to loosen it when turned up, and necessity should occur for holding it more firmly to its position, I propose to cut it in two, and thereby form a janrnut, as at E.

To compensate for the expansion of the tire by heat, I introduce a triangular block into one or more of the joints of the felly D, with central flange, the office of which is to act as a dowel, operating in a slot in the ends of the t'ellics in contact with the block, and side flanges, 1 g, which are constructed heavy at their juncture with the body of the block, and

extend with a bevel to an edge to lit a bevel on the corner of the felly to prevent its moving, spreading, or splitting, block D having a round hole in the center of its base, and extending through its center to near its apex, into which the tenon of the cap 0 is introduced, so that by turning the cap 0 to the right the triangular block D is crowded outward, being less in length than the depth of the folly or rim, and thus forces thejoint of the rim asunder, and enlarges the rim to hug and tighten the tire, and all working in unison for the accomplishment of the same resultsviz., the tightening or loosening of the tircby simply using a wrench in turning the caps at the ends of the spokes.

I am aware that screw attachments have been used for the expansion of a wheel, and also that wedge-shaped blocks have been introduced into the joints of the folly, but all differing widely from the construction and combination of my invention. Therefore,

Having thus fully set forth and described my invention, its simplicity of mechanical construction rendering it strong and durable and free from the many objections of complicrating in unison for the expansion of the cated fixtures, the ease of operating and wheel by turning the cap 0, substantially as 10 promptness of securing the object by simply set forth.

the aid of a wrench, What I claim, and desire 5 'to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, in a whee1,of the socket a, Attest: the cap 0, having a nut, collar, and tenon, and ELLA E. GRAY, the flanged triangular metallic block D, all op- CLARA E. GRAY.

' MILES M. GRAY. 

